William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 38.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 72/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
William Jewell College earns a 72 ROI score in Fair Value tier - one of the stronger results in the small-private liberal-arts category. The cost story is favorable: tuition is $20,610 (notably modest for a private), net price after aid is $17,562, and four-year total cost is $70,248 - well below typical small-private pricing. Median earnings ten years out reach $59,268 with an 8.7-year payback period (scoring 71/100). Median debt is $24,498, producing a 0.562 debt-to-earnings ratio. The strong sub-scores are completion (67.7%, scoring 74/100), repayment (84.5%, scoring 84/100), and earnings premium (0.345, scoring 75/100). This is a school that does the fundamentals right: aggressive sticker discounting, moderate selectivity, residential liberal-arts experience, nursing and business programs that pay back. The 84.5% one-year repayment rate is among the highest in the private-liberal-arts cohort, indicating graduates stay employed and current on loans even at modest entry-level salaries.
William Jewell College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,610/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,610/yr |
| Average net price | $17,562/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,248 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $59,268 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $43,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,498 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $260 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 924 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $20,610/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $17,562/year, or roughly $70,248 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $12,909/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,901/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $24,498 in federal loans, which works out to about $260 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $59,268 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.56, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $12,909 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $4,356 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,869 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,624 |
| $110,001+ | $23,901 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $12,909 - meaningfully discounted from the $17,562 average. But the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays just $4,356 - dramatically less, indicating a generous aid award structure at this specific income tier. This is a notable inverted pattern: families earning $30K-$48K pay less than families earning under $30K. Either pattern is workable for low-income students, but Pell-eligible families should run the net-price calculator carefully.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $12,869 - back up from the $30K-$48K outlier figure, suggesting that lowest bracket may be an artifact of a small sample or specific scholarship structure. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $16,624. Middle-income families face genuinely competitive net pricing here - comparable to Missouri public options like UMKC.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $23,901 - above the $20,610 sticker tuition once room/board factors in. The merit/discount tapers fully at the top, but the four-year total of $96,000 is still reasonable for a private with William Jewell's outcomes profile.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at William Jewell College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $79,507 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $60,126 | C |
| Psychology | $55,773 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $72,507 | C+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the largest program at 52 graduates with first-year earnings of $68,391 climbing to $79,507, against $27,000 in debt - a B grade and 0.395 ratio. Strong outcome for a small-college BSN program. Kansas City-area hospital placements (Saint Luke's, Research Medical, Children's Mercy) drive solid first-year earnings and consistent career growth. This is William Jewell's flagship ROI program.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business produced 39 graduates with first-year earnings of $44,064 climbing to $60,126, against $26,000 in debt - a C grade and 0.59 ratio. Solid utility outcome. Kansas City corporate placements (Hallmark, Cerner/Oracle Health, H&R Block, AMC) provide meaningful career growth. The earnings trajectory is steady rather than spectacular.
Psychology
Psychology graduated 19 with first-year earnings of $31,232 against $23,969 in debt - a D grade and 0.767 ratio. The four-year earnings of $55,773 indicate strong growth, likely reflecting graduate-school continuation. Standalone bachelor's math is rough; a clear PhD, PsyD, or counseling-master's plan is essentially required for a positive long-term outcome.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts produced 9 graduates with first-year earnings of $50,663 climbing to $72,507 - surprisingly strong for a generalist degree - against $26,831 in debt for a C+ grade and 0.53 ratio. Likely reflects students with interdisciplinary majors or pre-professional concentrations leveraging William Jewell's strong placement network. Small graduate count limits how confident the numbers are.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 85.1% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 84.5% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 77.6% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 84.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How William Jewell College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 38.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 540-640 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 540-630 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 924 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,488 |
William Jewell admits 38.4% of applicants - moderately to highly selective for a small Missouri private. SAT mid-ranges of 540-640 in math and 540-630 in reading, with ACT 18-24, indicate a solidly prepared student body with meaningful academic standards. The combination of 38% admit rate and 67.7% completion suggests effective selectivity filtering - students who get in are mostly capable of finishing, and the smaller-college environment supports persistence. Test-optional applicants expand the bottom of the academic range but published scores skew prepared.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
William Jewell's peer set includes Avila University (KC Catholic peer), Mission University, Hampden-Sydney College (VA men's college), Scripps College (elite Claremont consortium), and Whitman College (top WA liberal-arts). Scripps and Whitman are aspirational peers far stronger on ROI; Hampden-Sydney is a closer comparison with similar size and selectivity. Avila and Mission are weaker regional peers. Within the realistic small-Missouri-private cohort, William Jewell's 72 ROI is a strong showing - well above Avila and competitive with Hampden-Sydney.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Jewell College (this school) | 72 | $17,562 | $59,268 |
| Scripps College | 78 | $36,294 | $77,539 |
| Hampden-Sydney College | 74 | $22,400 | $67,640 |
| Whitman College | 72 | $33,313 | $67,589 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
Who Thrives Here
With 924 students and a 31.6% Pell rate, William Jewell serves a primarily middle-class Missouri student body, many with Baptist denominational ties to the institution's history. Strong fit: students who want a residential small-college experience near Kansas City, are recruited for athletics or honors programs, and want a nursing, business, or pre-health pathway. The completion rate of 67.7% combined with 84.5% repayment indicates students who enroll mostly finish and mostly handle their loans well. The 39% Pell rate cap shows the school is positioned for middle-class affordability rather than aggressive low-income enrollment.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
William Jewell College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $17,562 a year after aid ($70,248 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $59,268 a decade out, the cost takes about 8.7 years to earn back. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $24,498 against $59,268 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.